ATM robbery bid in Malda

The ATM counter at Dakshin Baluchar in Malda which was broken into on Friday. Picture by Surajit Roy

Malda, Jan. 17: A gang of robbers broke into three ATM counters in different locations here last night but failed to steal any cash from the machines.

A police source said Soumen Das, 24, an unemployed youth, was arrested from Dakshin Baluchar here in connection with the attempted robbery.

A sharp knife, an iron rod and a screwdriver were seized from one of the ATMs.

Police said Das was arrested around 4am by an Englishbazar police patrol.

Das is a resident of Buraburitola in town. The police said besides the arrested youth, others were also involved in the incidents.

The two ATM counters of the State Bank of India at Dakshin Baluchar and Rathbari areas had their glass doors shattered. There were marks on the machines that were caused by the thieves who tried to break them open to lay their hands on the cash. Both the machines were rendered inoperable, police said.

The third ATM counter belonging to a private bank was located in Sikantapalli on NH34. The ATM as well as the air-conditioner at the private bank counter were smashed.

The chief manager of the SBI’s Malda area Narayan Saha, said both the counters were maintained and managed by a private concern.

“We have given the ATMs to a private concern for their maintenance and security. We have nothing to say about last night’s incident. However, both the machines have been damaged and have to be replaced,” he said.

Kalyan Mukherjee, the Malda police superintendent, said the Englishbazar police had started an investigation.

“The booths of three ATMs were raided by thieves. The Englishbazar police have already arrested one person in connection with the incident,” said Mukherjee.

Sources at the Englishbazar police station said all the three ATMs had close-circuit cameras.

“We have taken the recordings of the cameras from the respective banks and are trying to identify the culprits from the footage,” an investigating officer said.